Game communication with synchronization of soundtrack system

• US 6,309,301 B1
• Filed: 09/14/1999
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Limited (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Sano, Nobuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US09/396,806
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 463/35, 463/30, 463/40, 463/41, 463/42, 463/43, 463/33, 463/6, 463/37, 381/17, 381/18, 381/19, 381/20, 381/21, 381/22, 345/418, 345/425, 345/433, 709/217, 709/218, 709/227, 709/228, 434/307.R, 434/307.A, 434/308, 434/309
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/33 using wide area network [WAN] connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/404 characterized by a local network connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing

Abstract

A game communication system enhancing and improving clarity of players perception of a game. The game communication system includes gaming machine units connected to each other through communication modules which are adapted to perform a communication procedure within the game communication system. Each of the gaming machine units includes communication units adapted to execute the communication procedure to ensure bi-directional communications among the gaming machine units, a performance unit performing a sound track for a corresponding gaming machine unit, and a synchronization data setting unit setting a synchronization data which is used to control operation timing of the performance unit.

Claims

1. A game communication system comprising gaming machine units connected to each other through a first communication link, the first communication link is adapted to perform a communication procedure within the game communication system, each of the gaming machine units comprises:

a second communication link adapted to execute the communication procedure to ensure bi-directional communications among the gaming machine units;

performance means for performing a sound track for a corresponding gaming machine unit; and

synchronization data setting means for setting a synchronization data which is used to control operation timing of said performance means.

2. A game communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the synchronization data is obtained by subtracting a delay time due to communication from a counter value and based on a performance status in said performance means.

3. A game communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the gaming machine units further comprises memorizing means for storing a performance data and a tone data.

4. A game communication system as claimed in claim 3, wherein

said memorizing means stores a performance data train which forms the sound track, and

said game communication system further comprises:

memory control means adapted to access said memorizing means from a position corresponding to the synchronization data produced by said synchronization data setting means.

5. A game communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the gaming machine units further comprises mode allocating means for allocating either a master mode or a slave mode to the gaming machine units in said game communication system.

6. A game communication system as claimed in claim 4, wherein

the performance data train is separated into predetermined data length segments, each segment comprising a label associated therewith, and

said game communication system further comprises:

correspondence table memorizing means for storing a correspondence table including the synchronization data set by said synchronization data setting means and the labels associated with the performance data train; and

label selecting means for selecting a label indicative of a start position where performance of the sound track is initiated, said label selecting means selecting the label in accordance with the synchronization data set by said synchronization data setting means and a counter value defined in the correspondence table read out of said correspondence table memorizing means.

7. A game communication system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the gaming machine unit which is determined as the master by said mode allocating means counts a track time for the sound track by every one frame unit.

8. A game communication system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the performance data train is separated into the plurality of segments in such a manner that each segment has a data length corresponding to a half measure or one third measure of a musical note of the sound track used.

9. A game communication system as claimed in claim 3, further comprising downloading means for downloading and receiving the tone data from an external storage device.

10. A game communication system comprising gaming machine units connected to each other through a first communication link, the first communication link adapted to perform a communication procedure within the game communication system, each of the gaming machine units comprises:

memorizing means for storing sound tracks;

a second communication link adapted to execute the communication procedure to ensure bi-directional communications among the gaming machine units;

performance means for performing a sound track for a corresponding gaming machine unit;

status detecting means for detecting a game status for a local gaming machine unit where said status detecting means is located; and

memory control means connected to said status detecting means, said memory control means adapted to select a sound track from said memorizing means based on the game status indicated by a signal supplied from said status detecting means.

11. A game communication system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said performance means comprises volume adjusting means for adjusting the volume based on the number of players participating in a game in said game communication system.

12. A game communication system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said performance means keeps the volume at a fixed level independent of the number of players participating in the game in said game communication system.

13. A game communication system as claimed in claim 12, wherein two or more gaming machine units perform the sound track simultaneously.

14. A game communication system, comprising:

gaming machine units connected to each other through a communication link;

performance means for performing a sound track for a corresponding gaming machine unit;

pan data generating means for generating a pan data which is used to achieve a global pan based on the number of said gaming machine units included in said game communication system; and

performance control means for controlling said performance means in accordance with the pan data generated by said pan data generating means.

15. A game communication system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said pan data generating means generates a local pan table for each of said gaming machine units which is identified by an ID number.

16. A game communication system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said pan data generating means generates a data for use in achieving a local pan relating to local pan data, arguments of ID numbers, global pan data and number of speaker channels.

17. A game communication system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the pan data includes a balance data and volume data which are used for achieving the local pan in a stereo sound field in a corresponding gaming machine unit.

18. A game communication system comprising gaming machine units connected to each other through first communication modules, the first communication modules adapted to perform a communication procedure within the game communication system, each of the gaming machine units comprises:

second communication modules adapted to execute the communication procedure to ensure bi-directional communications among the gaming machine units;

signal generating circuits performing a sound track for a corresponding gaming machine unit; and

synchronization data setting means for setting a synchronization data which is used to control operation timing of said signal generating circuits.

19. A game communication system comprising gaming machine units connected to each other through a first communication link, the first communication link is adapted to perform a communication procedure within the game communication system, each of the gaming machine units comprises:

a second communication link adapted to execute the communication procedure to ensure bi-directional communications among the gaming machine units;

a performance unit performing a sound track for a corresponding gaming machine unit; and

a synchronization data setting unit setting a synchronization data which is used to control operation timing of said performance unit.

20. A game communication system comprising gaming machine units connected to each other through a first communication link, the first communication link adapted to perform a communication procedure within the game communication system, each of the gaming machine units comprises:

a memory storing sound tracks;

a second communication link adapted to execute the communication procedure to ensure bi-directional communications among the gaming machine units;

a performance unit performing a sound track for a corresponding gaming machine unit;

a status detecting unit detecting a game status for a local gaming machine unit where said status detecting unit is located; and

a memory control unit connected to said status detecting unit, said memory control unit adapted to select a sound track from said memory based on the game status indicated by a signal supplied from said status detecting unit.

21. A game communication system, comprising:

gaming machine units connected to each other through a communication link;

a performance unit performing a sound track for a corresponding gaming machine unit;

a pan data generating unit generating a pan data which is used to achieve a global pan based on the number of said gaming machine units included in said game communication system; and

a performance control unit controlling said performance unit in accordance with the pan data generated by said pan data generating unit.